Tricking the Muse by Taking Out the Trash
by GF-221b
Summary: Waking from weird dreams, hearing strange music in his head, and that constant urge to jump Tony's bones: just a few symptoms of having a muse... especially for McGee and, what's this? DiNozzo! . Mainly McNozzo, w/ some Zabby & OCxOC. COMPLETE.
1. The Muse

A/N: New format. Yeah…

And a funny little story: This is because of McGee's advice to just sit and write and see what comes out. So… I'll do that… and then revise… and then do some other stuff… Yeah. And I don't own NCIS, Hocus Pocus, or anything else that is familiar in this fic. I do own Ronny, Gil, and all other Immortals. (Did I give away something? Oh well.)

~*~

Aeron Ailsa stared at her file folder. Her boss, Gilbert Grey (hey, had anyone else noticed that Gil always hired people with names like Aeron Ailsa (AA) and Chocberry Chizalla (CC)? And HIS name was Gilbert Grey (GG)…) had given it to her in confidence.

You see, Ronny was the only person at her work, Guardian Angels Inc., that was a so-called 'Special Agent.' Not only was she a Guardian Angel, but she was also a Conscience. Meaning she came to her charges and actually got to interact with them and tell them what to do. Her last charge had wound up killing himself anyway, even though Ronny clearly told him that was a BAD IDEA. Gil must have been trying to find a way for Ronny to be redeemed, as the Guardian Council was riding her ass about the whole thing.

Ronny got into her apartment building and opened the file folder. Just a normal file, a picture of a nice looking young man, and a couple of papers full of information was in it.. And a cute little sticky note in the shape of a heart from Gil. (And he told people he was straight as an arrow. Does he mean one of Cupid's arrows, 'cause Ronny swore they were making bedroom eyes at each other at that last Guardian Council meeting…)

_Ronny, go see him as soon as you finish reading about him. –Gil_

Ronny rolled her blue-ish purple eyes in response. Even though he wasn't there, he still managed to make her feel like a Newbie. She sat on her couch and read the file. A novelist. Like her. A geek. Like her. So far, they probably would get along well…

~*~

"Tony, stop making fun of McGee," Ziva said for the third time in maybe a minute.

"I can't help it. He was up all night on ONE LEVEL…" Tony said, lounging in his chair and chuckling.

McGee was in his chair, dipped down as far as he could. He was red as a tomato… or an apple… or Tony's sweater… Wait, what? McGee shook his head and stopped staring at Tony's chest. His very manly, very… NO NO NO! McGee shook his head and stood up suddenly, rushing to the bathroom.

Once inside, he splashed water on his still-red face.

'Hear, kitty, kitty…' he heard from the back of his head.

"What?" he asked his reflection.

"Oh, good… this head is more cluttered than that boy's desk across from you…" a young-looking girl said, appearing beside him. He jumped back about two or three inches.

"What the f—" he started to say.

"I'm your conscience for a while, buddy…" the girl quipped. She ran a hand through her reddish gold hair and smoothed out her light blue shirt.

"But… you're a teenaged girl!" McGee cried.

"No… I LOOK like a teenaged girl. I'm an Immortal. Like a fairy or a witch. I'm a Guardian Angel, and, like I said, your conscience… unless you kill yourself. Which is a BAD IDEA, Timothy McGee… don't do it," the girl said, putting her pale hands on her hips and leaning forward, one pale eyebrow up, the other almost covering her left eye. Her eyes were blue, slightly tinted with purple.

McGee scrutinized the girl for another minute, "How do I know your telling the truth?"

The girl stood up straight and smiled, "I love this part. You were in a movie when you were little, and you were turned into a cat. That's why I said 'here, kitty, kitty,' before I came out of you head. You like to play computer games. You've published two books under the name Thom E. Gemcity. You use an old typewriter, which I think is just AWESOME. You're friends out there think you're a big geek, and you know it…" the girl paused, "Oh, and you're in love with Anthony DiNozzo…"

McGee's eyes widened, "How… I haven't told anyone about that last one!"

"You're head. While I'm around… I'm cleaning it and organizing. Gods… I hate mess!" She flailed a bit and closed her eyes, "Gross."

McGee looked at the girl, "Okay… then what's your name, conscience?"

"Aeron Ailsa. But you can call me Ronny, since will be more than intimate for a while."

McGee paused before taking the small girl's hand, "That's sounds…"

"Wrong? That's why I'm the only Guardian Angel who is also conscience. Because I can make anyone's life better… except David's."

"Who's David?" McGee asked, as he took her hand to shake it.

"Long story, not now," she replied quickly, and promptly disappeared.


	2. She's My Niece!

A/N: Yes. Back by popular demand! Thanks for your support, people. I think I'm gonna enjoy this. I don't own much. Just Ronny. And this idea. And a couple other things that I'm not gonna mention.

~*~

It was unnecessarily quiet. Ziva was down with Abby, having "Girl Time," which they tried to do at least twice a week. Really, McGee hadn't noticed anything different between them, but as Ronny watched, she noticed something.

_If Tony wants Ziva, then he's a little too late._ She had told McGee. He was too busy trying to crack down on the level he was on. _You have to get that little buzzing thing in the corner. That'll boost your power and you can kill that damn bastard._

'Thanks.' McGee huffed in his head.

But McGee was disturbed by the silence at work now. Tony was reading a magazine (and Ronny didn't want to know the subject matter. Like, at all.) and Gibbs was… somewhere. Ziva was down with Abby, and McGee? He was staring at Tony, as usual.

Suddenly, McGee heard music in his head. A kind of soft, female voice, singing a very sad melody.

'What the hell?!' he shouted into the abyss in his head. He couldn't see his new conscience, but something had to be going on up there, and it definitely wasn't because of him.

_I'm organizing your head. Music helps. It's Enya._

"Oh, my god…" McGee sighed aloud. Tony looked up.

"What, Probie?" he asked, a smirk showing up in the corner of his eyes.

McGee gulped.

_Would you rather me start blasting Metallica?_ The young-looking Immortal asked.

'No… no… now what do I say to DiNozzo?' McGee thought, smiling awkwardly at the aforementioned man.

_That you want to jump his bones._ Was the tiny reply.

'Heck no!' McGee thought, blushing. He covered up his face with the collar of his tan jacket.

_Fine. You forgot something at home. Then, get up slowly, and go to the park down the street._ Ronny replied, turning up the CD she was listening to.

~*~

After doing what his conscience had told him, he sat in the park on the swings. Tony had waved off his late reply with his hand, staring at an email on his screen… or something, neither McGee nor Ronny wanted to know. McGee had left his desk and had quietly left the building. The walk to the abandoned park was nice, as it was just beginning to be Spring.

Ronny appeared beside him. She was wearing an orange tank top, despite the still biting cold outside, and jeans with blue and green sandals on her petite feet. Her long reddish-gold hair was put into a very long braid, and her blue-purple eyes shone with happiness.

"Finally. Now your head is livable. All thoughts will go to their proper filing cabinets," she announced.

"It wasn't organized? I'm usually almost OCD about being clean…" McGee mused to himself.

"Oh no… you think too much, and the automatic system shut down about two or three years ago…" Ronny replied.

"I didn't dream last night… actually, I haven't dreamed since about that time, either," McGee told her.

"Well… that's about to change, my friend," Ronny replied, taking the swing next to him and pushing herself into motion.

He looked up at her, "What do you mean, Ronny?"

"As well as you Guardian Angel and Conscience, I, as a duty of my Guardian Angel job, am your Dream-Weaver, or Muse," Ronny replied.

"Wow… you have a hard job, then…" McGee replied, "How do you do it… if I may ask?"

"You may. Guardian Angels are natural artists. The original Guardian Angels were actually rug weavers, hence the name Dream-Weavers. But we've come a long way. Shakespeare's Muse was a painter. Robert Burns' was a poet, mostly. I… I'm a novelist…" Ronny said, "I'll sit up in your head and write your dreams on my laptop."

Tim just stared at her. "Don't you ever sleep, then?"

"Immortals don't have to. Sometimes we do to pass some time, but most Immortals, like the All-Knowing, All-Seeing, are stopping traffic accidents in Hong Kong while most people in Washington D.C. are sleeping," Ronny replied, kicking herself higher on the swing.

McGee dangled for a minute, absorbing this. Until another person called out his name. Or… a nickname.

"McGeek!" Tony (yes, him) called. He was about thirty steps away from them.

Ronny stopped herself abruptly and looked at the sky, "Yeh could have told me about him sooner, you nasty things you…" she muttered.

McGee and Ronny then exchanged glances as Tony caught up to them.

"McGee! Skipping work to meet a lady friend! So not like you," Tony said, "And she's so young, too…"

McGee blushed and tried to say something, anything, really, to get himself out of the mess.

"Uncle Timmy… you know this handsome devil?" Ronny asked.

"Uncle…?" Tony looked from Tim to Ronny in disbelief.

"My mom is Timmy's sister…" Ronny said, "I'm Aeron, by the way…"

"Yeah…" McGee said, warming up again, "This is my other sister's kid. They live in… Seattle. And Aeron is visiting me because she's…"

"I'm going to college next year, and I was thinking about Washington D.C." Ronny finished.

Both seemed to breathe out a little as Tony took a few minutes to absorb this new information.

"So you left in the middle of the work day to meet your niece?" Tony finally asked.

"Yeah. I owe it to my little sister to take care of her only child…" McGee said, drawing the sentence out slowly.

"And here I thought you were a child molester," Tony said, a joking shine gleaming in his eyes.

"Ew. No. I want to catch and imprison those nasty people," Ronny replied.

"Her mother's been threatening me for weeks about her… but I think she's a good girl. Brilliant student… wants to be a Forensic Scientist someday," McGee put in, at this point just vomiting words.

Ronny kicked him, "Don't tell him that. You said so yourself your boss wouldn't let me NEAR your place of work. Why do you think I came here, Uncle Tim?"

McGee giggled much like a girl, "Right… Anyway, I'll be going to lunch early, and then I'll drop her off at my apartment…" he told Tony for no apparent reason.

"I'll come with you," Tony replied as McGee got off the swing. Ronny jumped down as well, but as Tony uttered those words, both McGee and his conscience/Guardian Angel/Muse/niece looked at each other again.

The look in Ronny's eyes said, _We have to do it now…_ and McGee nodded slightly.

"Okay then…" McGee said, and pushed Ronny in front of him as Tony turned to walk to his car, which was parked across the street.

~*~

As I am having Mac problem, these chapters won't come in as fast as this chapter followed the first one. I'll try to get my laptop fixed as soon as my Mom sends me my Disk Warrior and those others things I might need. I might wind up flushing my hard drive, which would suck majorly, but I want my laptop back in good health, dammit!

Aeron Ailsa


	3. Tourism Plans

A/N: Yeah. After the first two chapters, things usually start winding down. Usually. I'll try McGee's technique, though. Staring. Staring. …Sorry.

Muse: Do you need to trick me by taking out the trash?

Ha ha. Back in my head you go. Staring… come on… staring. Sorry, again. Onward!

~*~

Ronny and McGee were stewing. With Tony, they had to make up everything they were doing. Ronny would be "going to her college visits" alone, as McGee had to work. They were staying in that night to watch _Casablanca_, because McGee hadn't seen it, and that pissed Ronny off (_We might actually have to watch it, Tim_).

"Are you taking Ronny home?" Tony asked.

They hadn't thought about that.

"'Cause I'm sure Abs would love to have a little helper around the lab…" Tony continued, when neither Ronny nor McGee spoke.

More silence as McGee and Ronny tried to find a way to weasel out of this predicament.

"Do you want me to call Gibbs to see?" Tony asked, as no one was talking, still.

"NO." Ronny finally said, a little louder than she had expected. McGee and Tony stared at her for moment. She cleared her throat before saying "I'll be on my way soon… I'll catch a cab," she said, looking from one man to the other warily.

She turned to McGee, who caught her drift and stood up. He placed his napkin next to his half empty plate, "I'll be right back, DiNozzo," he said, and ushered Aeron out of the restaurant.

~*~

Once outside they both got away from the window, "Whew…" Aeron said, "Before I disappear back into my lair, I want to warn you that if he might come over tonight to watch _Casablanca_ with us…"

"How? How do you know these things?" McGee asked.

"A Guardian Angel is trained to distinguish potential threats. As your conscience, I'm allowed to at least warn you," Ronny replied calmly. She then touched his wrist and was gone.

_Now I can assume power of you mind,_ she said. McGee had had a mental picture of her in a desk chair crossing her legs like something right out of _Star Trek_.

_Nice image, Tim_, she said, giggling.

Tim shrugged and went to finish lunch.

~*~

"You're niece is an interesting character," Tony commented.

"Yeah… I haven't see her since she was a baby, so it was nice when she kinda just… showed up," McGee replied. Ronny scoffed inside his head.

They had finished lunch and were on the car ride back to the NCIS building. Tony had insisted that he drive Tim to work, and after some coddling by both his Conscience and the other man he got in the passenger seat of Tony's car.

_Yes… I often just 'show up' unexpectedly, _Aeron replied. McGee couldn't see her, but he had a feeling she was looking for another girly CD to listen to as she… McGee didn't know, but he had a feeling he would probably have some interesting dreams that night.

"She just showed up?" Tony asked.

"Well… I had forgotten that she was coming over to D.C this week… so she kinda just… swept in from no where," Tim replied.

_Change the subject, McGee…_ Ronny said, _this seriously is beginning to be a dangerous subject._

'Are you going to have to get out the throwing knives?' McGee asked.

_Worse_, Ronny replied.

McGee had no doubt it would be. "So… why did you follow me?"

…_How is that changing the subject?_

'Shut up.'

"I was worried about you. So I followed you to that park. You had definitely forgotten something," Tony replied, smiling.

"Look, thanks for your concern, but Ronny had sent me an email saying she was coming to see me as I hadn't said good bye to her this morning," McGee replied.

He heard an exasperating sigh from within. He ignored it as Tony sighed and then started laughing, "You're so cute, McGee…"

McGee paused for a moment, and Ronny did as well.

"What?" McGee asked stupidly.

Tony cleared his throat and replied slowly, "Nothing… we're here."

As if McGee couldn't see that they were back at the NCIS building…

Tony got out of the car and made his way into the building. Tim followed him warily. Ziva greeted them both as they entered the offices.

"How was Girl Time?" McGee asked.

For moment he though he saw her blush slightly, but blamed it on a trick of the light, "It was fine. How was your Guy Time?"

"Oh, it wasn't just us," Tony said, "McGee's niece is in town. I really think both you and Abby would really like her…"

_Tell them I'm really busy, and I'm leaving Sunday, _Ronny hissed.

"She's really busy touring colleges this week… she's also got a History paper due on the Monday she gets back to school… and she's leaving Sunday…" McGee told them calmly as he sat down at his desk.

Tony and Ziva stared at him for a moment.

"Oh well," Ziva said, "Gibbs is on the war-path. You two have some explaining to do."

~*~

A/N: Lame ending, I know. The Muse is also on the warpath and won't help me on this project. I'll try harder next chapter.

Oh, and I baked virtual cookies so you guys would review this chapter. At least think about it. They smell really good. (The cookies, I mean.) Go on… review, and I shall give a cookie.

Aeron Ailsa


	4. Thomas Jefferson

A/N: Here we go. Hopefully the Muse is at least supportive. WARNING: I'm dabbling in religious territory in this one. I'm sorry in advance if I offend you in any way.

~*~

McGee woke up, feeling refreshed, but slightly weirded out.

"What kind of dream was THAT supposed to be?" he asked.

_The exploding kind_, Ronny replied, _Cut me some slack, I haven't written anything for at least two years._

McGee's eyes widened, "Two? How do you manage that?"

_You try being the computer consultant for Guardian Angels Inc. and see how you feel after not having a real job because the Council think you actually made your last charge kill himself_.

"Was that why Ziva was dying in my dream? Because David died?" McGee asked, slowly getting himself out of bed.

"She reminds me of a feminine version of him, yes. Jewish, for one. Originally from Israel, for another. But he was all-American, until his dad died, his mom drunk herself out of his life, and his sisters blamed him for it all…" Ronny said, appearing in the kitchen. She poured both of them each a cup of coffee.

"Is that why you're here?" McGee asked, "To redeem yourself?"

"No," Ronny replied simply, taking a sip of her coffee before adding milk.

"Are you at least getting paid for this?" McGee asked, "It must be hard to be the Muse/Guardian Angel/Conscience of someone." He didn't add, _Especially someone like me_, but Ronny could see he wanted to.

"It's a challenge, and its fun… now get dressed. You have to be at work in an hour."

Tim grumbled and took his coffee to the bedroom and shut the door.

~*~

'But, really. Do you blame yourself for his death?' McGee asked once he was situated at his desk at work. Tony was late, Ziva was talking to Abby about the next time they were going out together (_Going together, seriously? Are you _that_ dense, McGee?_), and Gibbs, again, was elsewhere. Probably watching them through the secret security cameras McGee swore he had stationed around the office.

_By the time I got there, it was too late. He had already thought of the way he was going to… going to kill himself. I was with him for three days trying to get him to abandon the idea. Then he hung himself, and I got into trouble. I was suspended for a month, but apparently, that wasn't enough, _Ronny replied.

McGee could hear her choking up, so he decided not to ask any more questions about the subject.

He looked over at Ziva and Abby, who were laughing and smiling at each other. 'That's cute, wouldn't you say?' he asked.

_I wish you would figure out what's _really _going on between those two._ Ronny said, turning on her CD player. A soft sound came through McGee's head suddenly: instrumental music, to be exact. McGee sighed and began to get to work. He didn't get very far, as Tony barged in, either hot and bothered or just acting that way.

"Is your phone on, McGee?" he asked, as soon as he saw the aforementioned geek.

"Uh, no, I forgot to turn it on this morning, why?" McGee asked, opening a file on his computer nonchalantly. He wanted so badly to trace the other man's features with his eyes, but he felt that would be inappropriate with Tony standing an inch away from his desk. McGee was forced to look up at the "Very" Special Agent.

"Because I… I wanted to talk about your opinion on _Casablanca_," Tony replied after searching for the right excuse.

McGee blanked for a minute.

'Oh… what do I say now?' McGee asked.

_I still had jetlag so we opted out last night_.

"Ronny was still jetlagged last night. We took a rain check so she could get some sleep." McGee replied.

Tony exhaled loudly, either relieved or exasperated, McGee couldn't tell which.

"That's too bad. When will this 'rain check' be waved?" Tony asked.

_Never._

"N—(_NO! McGee… don't be a tape recorder, please!_) We're pretty booked for the rest of her visit. She wants to tour the city at night, and during the day, she's touring at least… (_Four days left of most kids' Spring Breaks. Four colleges._) four colleges and universities over the next four days…" McGee replied slowly.

"Oh…" Tony replied.

"Which universities, McGee?" Ziva asked.

_On your own, Timmy._

"Potomac today, George Washington tomorrow, American after that, and she'll end with Galleaudet University. She leaves Sunday morning…"

"Why don't we do something on Saturday, then…" Tony blurted out.

Ziva and Abby looked at each other, "Us too."

_Dammit… Oh! Wait! _Ronny thought for a moment, _That could actually be fun…_

'Should we do it?' McGee asked her in his head.

_Yes…_ Ronny replied, giggling evilly.

McGee grinned, "Sure… we can give Ronny a daytime tour of D.C…"

Tony nodded, "An excellent idea. Are you girls coming with us, then?"

Ziva nodded, "That would be a fun day. I would like to meet this niece of yours, McGee…"

"Yeah… she's neat. She wants to major in something Forensics. (_Pre-Med, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science_) Like, Chemistry or pre-Medical studies…" McGee said, glancing over at Abby.

"Sweetness!" Abby cried, "I can tell her about how awesome everything about it is!"

_If I WAS actually your niece, I probably would wind up going into computer science._

'Not if you didn't know me until you were seventeen.'

_Touché. _

Gibbs entered, "Do I pay you to mill around? I could find you something to work on, you know."

"No. That's fine. We've got stuff. Etc." the teams said, getting to work.

~*~

"So, what are the Immortals, to be exact?" McGee asked once he and Ronny were alone in his apartment.

"People, like you. The good ones become Immortals, and the bad ones… well… they work for very very low wages for the Immortals," Ronny replied.

"Like Heaven and Hell?"

"Somewhat. Anyone who was really terrible in their life gets to work minimum wage for us… anyone who commits suicide or homicide… you know the type. You deal with them every day," Ronny replied.

"So, you were good?" McGee then asked.

Ronny was silent, "No. I… committed suicide…"

McGee stared at her for a moment. "But, you're not working minimum wage… you're a top officer…"

Ronny turned from him. She was wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt and pajama bottoms that looked like that had black cats on them with a red background.

McGee hated to see her like this, "Did you sleep with your boss or something so you could become an Immortal?"

She laughed slightly, "No…he likes boys. I was good during my life. I was… I was made to do ritual suicide for my lover in Japan…"

"A boyfriend's family didn't like you?" McGee asked.

"No… a… a girlfriend…" Ronny replied.

McGee absorbed this, "You're a lesbian?"

She laughed again, "Bisexual. At that time, I was into girls."

"I'm sorry I asked…about your past life…" McGee said a few awkward moments of silence later.

"Most people get curious. I'm just one of the few Immortals who remember who I was before I was Immortal," Ronny replied, turning back to McGee. She used her sleeve to wipe the few tears she had shed, "We have a date with Tony on Saturday…"

"No. It doesn't count if the girls are there."

Ronny smiled, "Oh my GOD, McGeek! Ziva and Abby are dating!"

"Yeah, probably. A couple of cute girls never stay single," McGee replied.

"No! Each other! They're dating each other, McGeek!" Ronny yelled, hitting the back of McGee's head a la Gibbs, "Even Tony knew that! _Gibbs_ even knew about them, and he's okay with it!"

McGee absorbed this, "Oh… my… GOD!"

He turned around and landed face-first into the couch behind him. Ronny covered her mouth and laughed, "You really didn't see anything?"

"Well, I saw the smiles and the blushes, but I thought they were talking about boys, or whatever girls talk about now!" McGee said, mostly into the couch cushion.

Ronny flounced over to the couch and jumped onto a cushion next to him. McGee spun around and joined her in a normal seated position, "It's okay, McGee… but now you should know that Saturday might be known as a Double Date…"

McGee stared at her, "And you're gonna do all you can to make sure that its mostly Ziva-Abby and Me-Tony, and not Ziva-Abby and Me-Tony-You?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes… Think of me as the chaperone. No touching! Well… groping maybe—" Tim shushed her with a throw pillow.

Ronny giggled, "Now, get some sleep, I have to get rested if I'm going to be cheery for the George Washington University tour tomorrow," Ronny said, promptly disappearing.

~*~

Aww, snaps! The truth comes out. Sorry. The Muse is being good to me. Thanks, hon! Anyway, now that you've read it, review it! I don't have cookies, but I think I'll just hit the back of your head a la Gibbs if you read it and DON'T review.

Areon Ailsa


	5. It's A Girl Thing

A/N: Essays galore, and yet, here I am! Heh. …Onward!

~*~

"Oh! It's just gorgeous!" Ronny yelled as McGee and her began walking near the waterfront. They were all meeting in the parking lot near the Jefferson memorial.

McGee groaned, "Ronny… I feel like such a tourist!"

"That's the point, Uncle Timmy…" Ronny replied, skipping back to her 'uncle.'

"McGee! Ronny!" Tony yelled, waving the two over to him and the girls.

Abby had on her red plaid skirt and long white socks, along with black mary-janes and a white blouse. Her hair was up in her usual pigtails. Ziva had on a short-sleeved blue t-shirt and jeans, with what looked like brown flats on her feet and no socks. The two front sections of her hair had been pulled back with a piece of brown leather with a stick pushed through it.

Tony was wearing a red polo shirt and jeans. He wore red and white sneakers, but Ronny couldn't see what color socks he was wearing. McGee had been coddled into a button-up short-sleeved shirt and khaki pants. He was wearing red Tivas on his feet.

Ronny was happy in green capris and a blue-and-white tye-died spaghetti-strap shirt. She held a brown zip-up hoody just in case, and had her green and blue sandals on her feet. Her red-blonde hair was up in a French braid, and her blue-purple eyes were hidden from the bright mid-morning sun with rather large sun-glasses.

"Is this Ronny?" Abby asked, bounding up to McGee and his Conscience/Muse/Guardian Angel/niece.

"This is Ronny!" Ronny replied, "Is this Abby?"

"This is SO Abby! And this is Abby's girlfriend, Ziva!"

"Abby…" Ziva hissed.

"Like Tony and McGee don't know about us, Zi!" Abby yelled, looking back at the dark-haired beauty. She began stroking Ronny's arm, "This is SO. COOL! McGee… why have you been hiding her from us all week?"

"We've been busy all week. God! It was so like school. Not good for a Spring Break, right?" Ronny asked.

"Oh my god, baby… but today is going to be fun," Abby replied.

Tony and McGee started giggling, "Well… we certainly found you a soul mate, Abby…"

Ziva snapped to attention.

"Soul mates don't have to be lovers," Ronny replied, "They can be intimate friends…" Ronny thought about this for a moment, "Umm… yeah…"

Ziva smiled, "Oh, I'm not worried about you and Abby…" she said.

"Good… now, where should we go first?" Abby asked.

"We're closest to the Jefferson Memorial. Though I didn't like him very much…" Ronny said.

"Why not?" Tony asked.

"He didn't free his slaves before he died…" Aeron replied.

McGee nodded, "True story… and why aren't you going into History as your major, Ron?"

"Because I want a real job," Ronny replied, rolling her eyes as teen-age-like as possible. It had been a while since she was seventeen.

"Forensics is a real job, I'll give you that," McGee replied, chuckling.

"So, what kind of Forensics were you thinking of getting yourself into?" Abby asked.

"Medical Examiner… or Computer Consultant, like Uncle Timmy," Ronny replied, looking back at her 'uncle' and sneering unattractively.

"Wow… two McGeeks…" Tony said, rolling his eyes.

"My last name isn't McGee," Ronny told him.

"Right, McGee's _sister_ is your mother… who'd she marry?"

"A third generation Scot. Robert Ailsa. I'm Aeron Ailsa. A-E-R-O-N-A-I-L-S-A." Ronny replied.

"That's a weird name…" Tony replied, looking over at McGee, who shrugged.

"Kind of like Ducky, only third generation… and her name actuallly sounds Scottish," Abby said, "Oh! Ducky is our medical examiner. He's SO BRITISH!"

Ronny couldn't help but laugh, "I know nothing about my Scottish heritage. No bagpipes, no haggis at Burns' suppers. I just did an Internet search once for a paper my freshman year."

McGee started wondering if some of this was true… he pushed it to the back of his mind, where Ronny might find it and bring it up when she was safely back in his head that evening.

The discussion was over, so they all moved on to the matter at hand: the giant statue of Jefferson standing in front of them.

Ronny grinned to herself, and McGee at once knew what she was thinking.

"Time for Operration: Tony-Me and Abby-Ziva not Tony-Me-You and Abby-Ziva?" he asked.

"Like, totally…" Ronny replied, somewhat valley-girl-esque.

Let the fun begin.

~*~

A/N: Somewhat of a cliff-hanger. Now go review. No review, I may start breaking some fingers. And I'll get Gibbs to whack you upside the head. In the interrogation room. With a PMS-ing Ziva and Abby. While I watch through the mirror with McGee, eating fresh chocolate-chip cookies.

So really, you could review and join McGee and I, or I can find you if you don't review and throw with you the others in the interrogation room. For me, it's a win-win situation.

Aeron Ailsa


	6. Home On A Saturday Night?

A/N: Yeah… all mistakes are made by me, and I'm sorry for them. Shall we start then? All righty…

Confession: I love Ziva. And, if she leaves the show next year (not saying if she is), her memory will live on in this story.

~*~

"He was hot," Aeron said, staring up at the large scale President, "I mean, not that Lincoln and Washington weren't hot as well… but… still…"

"I thought you didn't like him?" Tony asked.

"I like his looks. I don't like his views toward slavery. I think Lincoln was hot, but for a whole different reason. His looks were to be desired, but his views on slavery? Ah, if only I were alive when he was…" Ronny replied.

'And were you?' McGee asked her privately.

_Yes and no. I was in Japan, dying, right when the Emancipation Proclamation was happening. It is a tale I will tell you later._

Ziva was reading the inscription next to the statue, "What is this?"

"I think it's the Declaration of Independence," McGee and Aeron said at the same time, walking toward her. They looked up at each other, eyes widened, and then they both broke out into violent laughter, still together.

"Wow… more than family, and more like… I don't know, twins separated at birth… and time period…" Tony said, looking at the girls for help.

"That was definitely weird," Ziva replied, nodding her head slightly.

"Sorry," Aeron said, "I think I've been spending too much time with Uncle Timmy…" she grinned before going on, "So… I'm going to the bathroom."

'That's a terrible start to the Operation, Ronny…' McGee thought as she flounced off.

_Abby and Ziva just left, by the way. Do something about your alone time with Tony… and by something, I mean jump his bones._

'Not gonna happen. It's a public place.' McGee thought, blush creeping on to his face.

Aeron was absolutely right: Abby and Ziva had left, arm and arm, and were sitting just outside the Memorial, waiting for either Aeron to return, or for the boys to come join them in waiting for Aeron.

Aeron was in the bathroom, waiting patiently for the line to go down.

Tony thought for a moment, and decisively turned to McGee. He stopped short when he saw McGee's current state of redness-of-the-face and, instead of his first thought, asked, "Dude, you okay?"

Tim noticed how hot his face felt. And how hot a certain other person standing in front of him was.

"I'm… uhhh… fine. Just a little sunburned, is all…" McGee lied, "I'll go ask Abby and Ziva if one of them has some sunscreen."

He ran out of the Memorial and out to the girls.

"She should," Tony mused, "Abby, I mean. How do you think she stays that pale in the sunlight?"

He shook his head because no one was there to laugh, or slap him upside the head because of, his quip and followed McGee out into the sunlight.

_McGee, you're so lame. Birds and butterflies do it in public all the time. You humans and your 'keep-the-children-children-until-they-turn-eighteen' complex._

'Just because you grew up all free and stuff doesn't mean I can just… change my ways here and now!' McGee shouted, rubbing the lotion Ziva had given him on his face. He slapped his cheeks a couple of times, just in case Aeron had retreated inside his head again. She hadn't. Tony was waving to her as she had returned from the bathroom.

"Did I miss anything?" Aeron asked, looking from Tony to McGee and then to the two girls sitting on the ground.

"We decided to wait for you in the sun, and McGee just asked us for some sunscreen," Ziva explained. McGee just gave Aeron the hairy eye for a minute until she giggled.

"I think we should continue, I'm very interested in the tourism of Washington DC," Ziva went on.

"Yes, yes. I'm sure Uncle Timmy will want to continue looking and feeling like a tourist," Aeron said, and ran forward around the port and toward the Washington Monument.

McGee rolled his eyes as the girls got up to follow the seventeen-year-old. He followed the girls. It took him a while to figure out that Tony was walking almost in step with him. McGee looked over at the other man. Despite his cocky attitude and almost belligerent argumentative ways, McGee still thought he was the most attractive man alive. Though he would follow up that statement with Gibbs being the most attractive older man on the planet. Tony was just closer in age to him, and didn't hit the back of his head… anymore, at least. Which was weird in it's own right.

"So, Tony… how was your afternoon yesterday?" McGee asked, finally remembering why Aeron had agreed to do this little outing with him.

_That's it, McGeek…_ Aeron's voice echoed softly.

"It was okay. I pretty much just stayed home and… got ready for today…" Tony said, trailing off.

"Tony DiNozzo? Home on a Friday night?" McGee asked rhetorically, "Why would want to get ready for today?"

"No reason… I wanted to get Ronny something before she left for Seattle, probably only to return a year from now…" Tony replied, "I got you something too, Probie, no worries…"

"Why?" McGee asked.

"No reason. Just felt like you and Ronny were a set now."

_He don't know the half of it,_ McGee and Aeron both thought.

"There are presents involved?" Ziva asked, winking at Abby.

"Oh my god. I'm excited," Abby said, taking out her camera, "There will be many pictures taken."

_Oh no._ Aeron said in McGee's head, _Gilbert would kill me if he saw I was on film!_

'What should we do, then?' McGee asked.

_Nothing. If I get fired, I get fired. I'm willing to risk anything for your happiness, McGeek._

'That's… sweet?' McGee thought, rolling his eyes some.

They met up with Aeron at the Washington Monument and continued their day of tourism.

~*~

The five decided to have dinner together, and it was then that Tony unveiled his gifts. For Aeron, a small necklace with a pendent that looked like a computer chip. He gave Tim the same necklace.

"This is… sweet?" McGee asked, looking up at him.

"Look on the back, Probie," Tony said, "You too, Ronny."

Abby clapped her hand over her mouth in excitement, "When do I get to tell them?"

"Not now, Abby," Ziva replied, putting her own hand over the Goth's hands and setting them on the table near her fork.

"'World's Best Niece,'" Aeron read aloud. She looked over at McGee's necklace.

"'World's Best Uncle,'" McGee read aloud. They both looked at each other, and then at Tony, both smiling sheepishly.

"I love it!" Aeron said, getting up to hug Tony, "But you should have gotten yourself one that said World's Best Uncle…"

"I have no nieces or nephews though…" Tony replied.

Aeron looked over at McGee and smiled, "You're like family to me, at least… all of you…"

'Ronny, you're getting too into it.'

_I know, there's no hope for me now…_

"I carved the words into those chips! Ziva found the chips in the recycling, and Tony requested that I carve the words," Abby told them, once she had shared an intimate glance with Ziva.

The waitress came in with their food at that point, and they had to start eating.

~*~

McGee and Aeron were dropped off back at the Jefferson Memorial parking lot. After waving and hugging, Aeron got into the car, and McGee began the engine. Aeron stared at her necklace, and then snapped her fingers. The word 'Niece' was replaced with 'Muse,' and put it around her neck.

"Nice save," McGee replied.

"You should wear yours," Aeron replied, before disappearing into McGee's head.

_For Tony, at least,_ she added, turning on some music. It was soft, again, with harps and fiddles, it sounded like.

'Are you just going to play Celtic Music in there?' McGee asked.

The music changed to hardcore Celtic, it sounded like.

_Is Flogging Molly better, dear?_

'A little bit, yes. And I'll put on the necklace when I get home.'

_Liar. I'll come in there when you're sleeping and put it on. And I'll punish you by making you dream in Disney songs._

'Oh no! Anything but that!' McGee yelled sarcastically.

_Wear it. For Tony. Or you will regret it, and you'll be watching Tony kiss another woman instead of you… again._

There was silence in the car as Flogging Molly pounded in his head. He nodded slowly to no one as he parked his car near his building. Aeron was right. He took the box out of his pocket and opened it, slowly taking out the necklace. He hooked it around his neck and hid it under his shirt for good measure, patting the pendent before walking into his building.

~*~

HA! Okay… empty threat of this chapter is… if you don't review, I will probably tie you down and make you watch… _Hocus Pocus_! The song they featured ("I Put A Spell On You"). …Over and over and over again… If you review, you get to join Ziva, McGee and I at the karaoke machine in my office, singing _good_ songs…

Aeron Ailsa


	7. Destiny

A/N: I _know_! I should be working on an essay right now! Bad, Aeron, bad! Oh, f*ck it:

~*~

McGee woke up, annoyed, "Aeron Ailsa, would you quit with the odd Disney dreams? I'm wearing the necklace, for Pete's sake!"

"I was watching _Lizzie McGuire_ and I thought that, you know, McGee and McGuire? They're kind of alike…" Aeron replied, appearing next to him under the covers.

"Like this isn't awkward," McGee replied, looking Aeron up and down. She was wearing a pair of Scottish tartan boxers and a Seattle Sounders FC jersey, still in the 'I'm-McGee's-niece-from-Seattle' mindset. He was wearing plaid pajama bottoms and an MIT shirt.

"You're wearing clothes, yeh nasty," Aeron grumbled, putting her hands over her face in exhaustion.

"You sure you don't want to get some sleep?" Timothy asked.

"Nah… I just needed a little break. Get some sleep yourself. I have another story flowing to mind," Aeron said, disappearing once again.

McGee grumbled, but pulled the covers over his head as he flipped over to his stomach.

~*~

"Morning, Probie, Ziva… Abs…" Tony said, arriving late as usual. He went right up to McGee and slipped his hand down the back of his shirt. The girls watched, awed, as Tony gently lifted the computer-chip necklace and grinned, dropping it back and almost skipping happily to his desk.

_The hell?_ Aeron asked.

'I'm not gonna ask…' McGee said, going back to the spreadsheet he was working on.

_You're no fun at all, McParty-Pooper._

'You're starting to remind me of Tony, stop it!'

_I'm doing that so you actually go up and talk to him, Timothy…_

McGee looked up from the spreadsheet he was barely working on and looked at Tony. The other man had turned on his computer and was reading some emails, laughing sometimes.

"What's so funny?" McGee asked.

"Oh, some girls I met at a party two nights ago got my email address and are being flirty…" Tony replied.

"Oh… are you dating one of them, or all of them at once?" Ziva asked, saving McGee from having to say something to fill the awkward silence that was looming.

"None of them," Tony replied simply, looking over at McGee.

'These feelings are wrong, so very wrong. He's my senior officer and he's a _man_…' McGee thought, finally coming to terms as his face turned a deep shade of crimson.

_And he totally digs you! Stop being a whiny, over-thinking _woman_!_ Aeron shouted.

He breathed in suddenly, causing everyone in the small cubicle to look at him.

"Probie… you all right?" Tony asked.

"Just... my phone went off…" McGee replied, taking out the cell phone. He opened it, "Hello?"

"You're thinking too hard about this, McGee," Aeron's voice said into his ear.

McGee looked at his phone, it was now on, and the name 'Aeron Ailsa' was flashing. He gasped slightly, but no one noticed this time, and then he put the phone back on his ear. He looked at his co-workers and smiled, nodding as he continued: "Hi, _Ronny_, how was your flight?"

"You don't actually discuss these feelings with him, you'll lose him," Aeron said.

"I know, I know…" McGee said, remaining calm, "I miss you too! Come back in the _summer_, okay? _I swear_ I'll take some time off to _spend time_ with you!"

"Yeah, no chance in hell is _Ronny_ coming back. Not if you're not gonna _spend time_ with Anthony DiNozzo between now and then…" Aeron replied.

"Tony, Ziva and Abby miss you as much as I do, Ronny!" McGee said.

"I'll think about it. And you should at least do something about Tony…" Aeron replied. There was a click, and McGee put away his phone.

His co-workers looked up at him expectantly.

"She's going to talk to her parents about it," McGee replied, putting his phone back into his pocket.

'What do I do about Tony?' he asked Ronny.

_We can try 'hooking him up' with a girl on the Internet. The 'girl' would be you, of course._

'Done to death,' McGee thought back, 'getting back to work' on the spreadsheet he was working on. He glanced over at Tony, who was 'working.'

_Start with my personal favorite, then._

'Oh god… do I want to know?'

_Timothy McGee! I am not the whore you think I am! I like to start a relationship with a 'hello, how are you doing today?' and go from there. You can't smile without him!_

'Barry Manilow? Do you want to make my ears bleed, Aeron?'

_You can't laugh and you can't sing…You're finding it hard to do anything! You see you feel sad when he's sad. You feel glad when he's glad. If he only knew what you're going through! _You just can't smile without him_!_

'Are you done yet?' McGee asked, rubbing his temples.

_For now. I may go on if you don't do something in the next twenty-four hours._

Tony giggled quietly from across the room, and this time Timothy pursed his lips in annoyance, "What is so funny, Tony?"

"My thoughts right now. Ronny as a boy in a kilt… just, popped in there…" Tony replied.

_Wait a second…_ Aeron said, _Me as a boy…? In a kilt? I was a cross-dresser once…_

'There are many things I must learn about my Mistress Aeron Ailsa… but what's wrong with Tony thinking about you in a kilt… besides the fact that it's kind of naughty in a he's-probably-jail-bound-way.'

_Nobody would think sweet, girly _Ronny_ would be a cross-dresser, McGee. _

McGee thought about this for a minute. 'True, true… what are you saying, then.'

_Tony's got an Immortal conscience. Someone who knew me as I once was…_

'Keiko? You're lover from Japan?'

_Couldn't be. She still has three more Earthly lives, and she's been a good girl._ Ronny groaned, _This is gonna drive me frickin' nuts. I think I'm gonna do some walking down Memory Lane. You watch out now, Gibbs is comin' and he's got a whopper of a case for you…_

~*~

Aeron was unusually quiet up in McGee's head. But she was right. The case was making him sick. Some sicko had chopped up a baby and her mother and had strewn the pieces in the garden of a man. He had called in, wailing. He had said it was his wife, Petty Officer Charlotte McGuire. McGee had thought about this morning and his _Lizzie McGuire _dream. Aeron had said nothing.

It was getting weird.

Once the evidence was bagged and the photos were taken, all there was left to do was for Ducky to transport the pieces back to his lab to process them. Ziva was driving the team home sans Gibbs, who was driving himself to think things over. Apparently, something had hit home.

"That's just terrible," Tony pointed out, as Ziva took the wheel. He was sitting next to her, while McGee, feeling somewhat alone without his Muse, sat in the back.

"It really is, what people do to each other…" Ziva replied.

"Yeah, but didn't you do that, like, all the time?" Tony asked her.

"Not like that… and it was because I was told to do so," she replied calmly.

Tony looked at McGee, who was tracing patterns on the window glass. McGee felt him watching, but said nothing, hoping he wasn't turning too red, but from the temperature in the back of the car, he had a feeling he was red as a tomato.

"That sunburn of yours has gotten worse… you want to stop at a store and get you a bottle of sunscreen?" Tony asked.

"S-Sure," Tim managed to utter, trying to cover up his face with the collar of his jacket.

Tony nodded to Ziva, who pulled in to the nearest grocery store, "I'll wait in the car… hurry up, or Gibbs will have a conniption…" she said.

Tony got out and, as McGee was about to open his door, opened McGee's door for him, acting as one of those limo drivers on TV for the stars.

"Umm… thanks," McGee said. He had really been watching Tony for the past two hours, watching to see if you had any of the qualities McGee caught himself with after meeting Aeron. 'Aeron… you still alive in there? I need help…"

There was silence. His head felt awkwardly empty. 'Must have taken an _actual_ trip down Memory Lane,' McGee thought, and stepped into rhythm with Tony.

"What's up, probie?" Tony asked after a few moments of tense silence.

"Writer's block," Tim replied awkwardly, "The Muse seems to have left."

Then McGee noticed a small flash in Tony's eyes. What were normally blue eyes weren't normal blue… they looked like a flash of green light was shining behind them. Tony and Tim paused, looking into each other's eyes. Did McGee have a flash of blue light behind his eyes when Aeron was with him? He must have.

McGee looked back at Ziva, still waiting in the car. She was reading over some notes from the crime scene. He turned back to the store and continued walking, leaving Tony standing there for a minute.

"Probie! What the hell was that?"

"Nothing you should be concerned with."

~*~

There was tense silence between Tony and McGee as they walked together through the store. McGee picked up the sunscreen he actually didn't need, paid for it, and left, not even waiting for Tony. But, why was he acting like this? Had expected Tony to say something about is Conscience. And wait… didn't Aeron say she was the _only_ Special Agent for the Immortals?

So many questions.

McGee returned home and saw Aeron there waiting for him.

"Her name is Kenzie Keanan," Aeron replied.

"He's got a girl too?" McGee asked.

"Yes… most consciences are born with and are the same gender as their charges. Those are the mortal consciences. Then there are the Immortal Consciences. It had been just me, but now Gil has sent a second Conscience: a girl I had once met in the Highlands of Scotland. I was a cross-dressing, kilt-wearing warrior, fighting off the Norwegians in the north, and she was a pretty farm-girl… I had no relations with her, just met and flirted…" Aeron replied.

"Uh oh…" McGee said, "I saw her eyes, today…"

"Those green ones? You should see the black hair she sports, as well," Aeron replied, "I wonder what Gil found in Tony to make her seek him out…"

"He's head-case, that one," McGee replied, sitting on the couch with her, "I missed you…"

"I'm sorry… but that's what happens when you don't have a constant companion…"

"Is this another one of your ambiguous 'if-you-don't-tell-Tony-your-feelings-you-will-regret-it' proverb things?" McGee asked.

"Maybe…" Aeron replied.

"So, tell me about Kenzie…" McGee said, after a short stare-down.

"She has green eyes and black hair, as I've told you. Her sense of humor is… very sarcastic, very… aloof. She is also very aloof in how she handles people, leading them on the path of mystery. Although, with people she's comfortable with, she is loving and always good for a gentle, humorous remark. I never got to that stage, but I saw her with her brother…" Aeron paused for a moment, "I saw her picture… she was very young when she came into the Immortal world… like I was… we both look about seventeen, for that's the age we… died…"

McGee looked at her, "When were you a warrior?"

"At fifteen… she must've been that age when she met me…" Aeron replied, "I told her my name was Graeme MacAuley, from Glasgow… but that night, I had been staying at her house, and she had been coming up to check on me and I hadn't heard her. She saw me without any clothes…"

"She found out you were a girl?" McGee asked, chuckling slightly.

Aeron hit him, "Yes! And she backed away quickly and ran to her room in embarrassment!"

McGee and Aeron had a good laugh after that.

"Why is she Tony's Guardian Angel?" McGee asked, wiping some stray tears from the corner of his eye.

"Gil said she wanted a tougher job than the one she had been given to: a janitor. He thought she was a 'feisty young thing' and gave her the job of Special Agent and found her a charge closest to me, so that I might watch over her. He just never came to tell me that I had to watch her…" Aeron said.

McGee thought about this for a while, "So if I… love… Tony, then will you start falling for Kenzie?"

Aeron sighed, "I haven't been in love since Keiko, when I was alive… but yes. As your Conscience, I now will live as long as you will, I will feel pain along with you, and I will fall in love with the Conscience of whoever you fall for. Immortal or mortal. It is my Destiny now. Boy, is Destiny a bitch…" she added.

McGee shrugged, "So… I can get you back now?"

"For all my Match-Making rants? Sure, go ahead…" Aeron replied, but disappeared while singing: _You can't laugh and you can't sing…You're finding it hard to do anything! You see you feel sad when he's sad. You feel glad when he's glad. If he only knew what you're going through! _You just can't smile without him_!_

~*~

Wow, lame chapter ending.

Did I mention I don't own Barry Manilow's 'I Can't Smile Without You'? (See if you can find those snippets. It'll be fun.)

Please review, if you don't, I'll tie you up and make you listen to bagpipes. Like, really close to your ear. And they are so fucking LOUD. (I won't mind, but most people? It drives them nuts.)

Aeron Ailsa


	8. Flirtation and Forgetting

A/N: I'm back! Sorry for the weirdness in the last chapter. Mucho thanks to MissFlapjack for keeping in correspondence with me… and kind of taking off some of this plot-bunny nonsense so I can think straight…

~*~

"Hello, Aeron."

"Bonjour, Kenzie."

There was a tense silence between McGee's Muse and Tony's Muse. They had agreed to meet in an Otherworld café, complete with a TV set so they could watch what was being laid out in the Forensic Lab between Tony and McGee themselves. Right then, Abby was telling them about the blood samples taken from the husband, and about the metal Ducky had found in the mother's ear canal.

"Gil sent you here to check on me, finally?" Kenzie asked, running a hand through her long black hair. Her green eyes flashed as she watched Aeron take a seat at a table. A shadowy waitress handed the blonde Muse a cup of coffee.

Kenzie sat down herself a few minutes later, and took a latte from the shadowy hands of another (or the same) waitress.

"No. It wasn't Gilbert that sent me. I came on my own accord. You have been assisting Mr. DiNozzo, have you?" Aeron replied, taking a sip of her drink.

"Yes… I have been. You knew yourself I was an aspiring singer/songwriter back in Scotland."

"Ah, yes. I heard you practice for the church choir. And you sing to him when he's asleep?" Aeron asked. She was naturally calm in the face of her doom, as she had called it many times since learning of her fate.

Kenzie nodded slowly. "He likes him," she commented, looking over to the TV. Tony had just brushed up against McGee. Aeron felt the tension in McGee's body and breathed out slowly as Kenzie's knee touched hers under the table.

"I know that…" Aeron replied through gritted teeth.

"I'm just trying to make this easier for you, Ronny…" Kenzie replied, "Gilbert told me you had ways of forgetting things that you wanted to forget. Perhaps you'll forget the fact that if McGee and Tony get together, so will we?"

Aeron raised an eyebrow, "That's an idea…" she replied, seriously thinking about it. She could forget all this if she wanted to…

"Then someday, I will remind you of the destiny you take when having a charge who also has an Immortal Muse…"

Aeron looked at her, finally. Abby had been explaining to Tony and McGee about the properties of the aluminum alloy. Though interesting, she wasn't really listening to Abby, but rather listening to the smooth-talking tone of Kenzie Keanan's voice.

"If you still remember your promise, Kenzie, I will comply," she replied, setting down her cup. As she did so, she returned to the mind of her charge, leaving the Otherworld café for a brief time.

~*~

Aeron did forget about her promise. But Kenzie would remember. She never forgot anything, even her smallest childhood memories were engrained in her head, her first steps, her first sentence. She wouldn't forget her promise. But she was intrigued by the prospect of her remembering her fate, and Aeron not remembering anything about it…

But she focused on the task set to her the first day: Getting Tony and McGee together.

_Flirting always works,_ she had told Tony.

Aeron was not getting anywhere with McGee telling Tony _anything_. She gave up all together, hoping fate would step in at some point and bring the two men together. For now, she hoped to just guide McGee in the right direction, to help as she was supposed to. To be a Muse when he needed ideas, to be a friend, and to Guard him when something bad was about to happen.

The only real bad things that might of happened right now was Gibbs being pissed off about something.

_Leroy Jethro Gibbs at twelve o' clock_!

McGee was awoken from his daydream about unicorns, for some odd reason, by the sound of the culprit who was making those unicorns prance around the rainbow while stars rained down and filled his head with an awesome feeling of serenity. Maybe Kenzie had given Tony the same warning, after having the same daydream, because he immediately snapped to attention as well.

Gibbs rushed in, with Ducky in tow, "Another murder, this time Petty Officer Charlotte's brother-in-law called in. Her sister's dead as well… Ziva, take the boys again…"

Ziva stood up, "Yes sir. Come on, boys… The early worm gets the front seat," Ziva said, grabbing the keys from the inside wall of the team's cubicles.

"That 'the early _bird_' Ziva," Tony corrected, but he chuckled, used to Ziva's broken English.

McGee got up and grabbed his coat, feeling suddenly very refreshed, "Called front seats, Tony," he yelled.

"What? I'm Senior Officer, probalicious! I get it _all_ the time!" Tony replied.

"No fair, Tony!" McGee whined.

"Boys, boys! Please. I think it is only fair that McGee gets to ride up front," Ziva replied, smiling warmly at the younger team member. McGee turned to Tony, having the urge to stick his tongue out, but thought better of it. Instead, he just grinned like he had won some little kid contest, which he had.

Tony scoffed, but allowed McGee to take the front seat once they had gotten to the car.

Ziva got into the driver's seat and warmed up the car. They went over the notes from the last case and sighed.

"Same guy?" McGee asked, looking over her shoulder.

"I think so," she replied slowly, flipping the papers again.

"Must be a crime of passion, if he's only targeting family of the first victim," Tony said from the back. He was sulking, arms crossed over his chest.

McGee twisted around so that he was at least facing him. He laughed aloud at Tony's sulking stance, "Are you _sulking_ Anthony?" he asked.

"Hey! That's _Very Special Agent_ Anthony _DiNozzo_ to you, probie!" Tony replied.

McGee twitched and turned back to the front as Ziva peeled away from the curb. She smiled, "He's only playing with you, McGee," she said softly, "He's still mad that you called the front seat first… and that I overruled him."

McGee nodded, "I… I knew that," he said, regaining his confidence.

But he didn't turn to look at Tony for the entire ride. Tony was mentally slapping himself for letting his pride take over. Or maybe Kenzie was actually slapping him, Tim and Aeron thought. Tim smiled as they parked in front of Petty Officer Charlotte's sister's home.

~*~

About an hour later, McGee and the team was back in the office, waiting for Abby to call them down and tell them if the case was serial. Aeron and Kenzie were meeting in the café. This time, Aeron had a cup of chai, and was sipping as calmly as she could. Kenzie had gone with water with a lemon slice. She was also enjoying a lunch of pastrami on rye. Aeron was too flustered to eat.

"The case has been getting interesting, no?" Kenzie asked, the double entendre apparent in her olive eyes.

"Ummm… very," Aeron replied, hiding behind the massive cup.

Kenzie almost giggled, "And how is McGee doing?"

"Just, great," Aeron replied, sticking to short answers, "He's, ummm… still finding a new game to play, since we beat the last one… and… uhhh… the new case has been giving him a, like, hard time lately…"

Aeron took a sip to calm herself.

Kenzie couldn't help but smile, "Cases like that would do something to someone who hadn't seen many like that."

"But… isn't this a case like the others? I mean, same uhhh… principle. Someone killing another person in a different way, but pretty much the same as all humans? Uhh… humans do bad things all the time, right?"

Kenzie tried to process what was becoming gibberish as Aeron talked. Aeron felt a bit like McGee did around Tony… maybe it was good she had given up on McGee going to Tony…

Kenzie finally broke the silence, "Humans always do things they shouldn't do, Aeron, but humans can figure that out, which is why we like people like McGee and Tony… they're doing some good by finding out who the bastards are, and then helping to get the bastard out of the world until they're… 'fixed,' I guess."

~*~

It was getting late. Ziva had just left with Abby, and Gibbs had left hours upon hours ago, Ducky in tow. It was just Tony and McGee.

McGee wouldn't even look at his senior officer, but he sure as hell wasn't looking at any work that had to be done.

Tony was sneaking glances at McGee, and then going back to checking his email for anything. And he was listening to Kenzie singing in the back of his mind.

McGee finally got up to leave. He just couldn't take the slice of the squad-room. He was just about to pick up his jacket when Tony said, "Listen, man, I'm really sorry about the car ride."

"Tony, you've apologized way too much. You're beginning to sound like… me," McGee replied. He chuckled at the thought.

"Is that funny, probie?" Tony asked sharply.

McGee twitched, and turned back to his jacket.

"Dammit. I'm sorry, McGee…" Tony said.

"It's okay," McGee said, still not looking at Tony as he stuffed a few things into his backpack.

"No… I don't know… I don't know why I'm being like this. I just… met this great person, and I don't know how… how to tell them I really want to spend more time with them…" Tony said, faltering slightly.

McGee bristled, "And you haven't told her? How not like you, Tony…"

Tony looked at him, "When did I say it was a 'her,' McGee?"

McGee paused, "Are you telling me your bi-curious, DiNozzo?"

"Bi-sexual. I have been for a while," Tony said quickly, looking at his keyboard for a few minutes.

"So… what's he like?" McGee asked.

"Younger than me. A bit of a geek. Kind of a klutz, as well. But very… sweet," Tony said, concentrating on McGee's face.

_Sound like someone we know?_ Aeron asked.

McGee wouldn't listen. His ego had left him again, and he was a bit heart-broken that Tony could love another man, but not _him_. Aeron sighed and left it alone.

~*~

McGee had left as soon as he could after that. He had politely said 'good night' before leaving.

Once inside his apartment, he sighed, turned on a few lights, and almost melted onto the floor.

"You okay?" Aeron asked, appearing beside him, down on one knee and with a hand on McGee's back.

"I need to think this over. Who would he like who's male, a geek, and somewhat of a klutz?" McGee asked her.

Aeron thought back to Kenzie's list, _The girl I like is sweet, out-spoken in most cases, and a bit of ditz when it comes to love and… feelings… also, she's a bit geeky…_

McGee sat up when Aeron didn't answer right away, tripping on the edge of the rug. Aeron glanced up at him as his crash knocked down the stack of computer games off the desk. "A klutz and a geek…" Aeron had totally forgotten who had been crushing on McGee, and who's Muse had been crushing on her. She only knew that Kenzie was flirting with her, and Tony was trying to her a younger man who was a geek and a klutz to…

"You! He likes you!" Aeron shouted, standing up quickly. She bumped into the door-knob on her way. There was a clatter of bone to metal and both charge and Muse lay on the floor.

"You were saying?" McGee asked after a bout of groaning from all sides.

"I don't know… just that every time I see Kenzie, butterflies are released in my stomach…" Aeron replied, her voice softening slightly.

"I have an incredible urge to watch Spring Awakening… don't we have that one DVR?" McGee asked.

Aeron thought for a moment, "It WAS playing on HBO… I think I recorded it…"

They looked at each other for a spilt second before bounding for the sofa. There it was…

They didn't know why they had forgotten those little things. But Gilbert knew…

~*~

"_Why the hell did you do that, Gil?"_

"_Because Fucktard, this will make it more fun..."_

"_It's Ficktard! Frederick Ficktard, for the love of God!"_

"_Sorry Freddy, old habit. But yes, this should make it MUCH more entertaining…_

~*~

Please review, or I will break out the whooping stick. (Short and not-so-sweet, I know.)

Aeron Ailsa


	9. My Sickness Is You

A/N: Again, sorry for any and all weirdness produced from this chapter. I'm sleep deprived… that's my excuse.

~*~

A bright, spring Saturday blew through the window as McGee woke up from a dreamless sleep. He was lying on his sofa, with Aeron curled up in a tight ball, almost cat-like, sleeping as well. _I guess she_ did_ need sleep_, McGee thought as he gently poked the young looking girl. The TV had been turned off promptly last night after the final curtain call.

Aeron woke up suddenly, "Oh my god! Did I fall asleep last night?" she asked loudly.

McGee nodded, sitting up as Aeron jumped into a standing position.

"Immortals only sleep when they need to refuel… I guess something was sapped out of me as we were watching _Spring Awakening_…"

"Speaking of which, why don't you sing to me when I'm thinking?" McGee asked.

"Kenzie sings to Tony in his sleep. That's her thing, not mine. I chose writing, she chose singing," Aeron said. She yawned deeply, stretching out her arms toward the ceiling and curling her fists into balls.

"Good tired or bad tired?" McGee asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I _think_ it's the good kind…" Aeron replied. She disappeared into McGee as McGee turned on the coffee machine and went into his room to change.

~*~

Aeron fell asleep Saturday and Sunday night too. Though it was weird, Aeron shrugged it off, so McGee didn't even think about it…

With the weekend done, McGee returned to work with a heavy heart. There was a possibility that Tony had a boyfriend now, being the bi-sexual man he had become since, McGee thought, meeting his Guardian Angel. Aeron was freaked out, as well, because that meant that the man Tony liked had an Immortal Conscience as well. "Gil's been training more Special Agents since I've been gone…" she cried after McGee's morning ritual.

They got into work two minutes earlier than usual, so McGee turned on his computer, not even noticing that a certain someone had spent the night (or maybe the weekend) at his desk, and was just waking up.

"Morning, McGoo," Tony said, smoothing out his hair, which had been matted down by the desk. He also had the slight imprint of some of the keyboard keys, especially along his forehead.

"Whoa! Hey, Tony… have you been here all weekend?" McGee asked.

"I came in a couple of times, yes… I must have forgot what time it was last night and… just fell asleep," Tony replied. He stretched upward, and McGee saw a distinct ripple go through the other man's muscles. _Those perfect, sexy muscles,_ he heard himself tell Aeron.

Aeron was groggy and, to put it mildly, not at all herself that morning. McGee had, again, shrugged it off, but that would cost him later…

It happened almost immediately, as McGee fainted right as Tony was getting up. Tony paused for a brief moment, then rushed over to the younger man. McGee's forehead was hotter than an oven, and he was flushed all over.

Tony heard the elevator doors open and Ziva walked in. Tony picked McGee up bridle-style and yelled, "I'm getting McGee home… call Gibbs and tell him McGee's sick…"

Ziva rushed to her desk and picked up the phone as Tony took the still open elevator, closed the door, and rushed to his car.

~*~

"Please, keep a key under the door-mat," Tony prayed as he set the still-unconscious McGee down and looked under the mat. As luck would have it, the key was there. He unlocked the door and semi-dragged McGee into the apartment, setting him on the sofa. As soon as the door was closed, Tony turned to see Aeron appear in McGee's arms. He was shocked for a minute, still not used to the whole Immortal Muse thing, but he calmed down as Kenzie appeared beside him. She rushed over to McGee and Aeron.

"It's not serious," Kenzie said after a vitals check, "Just a fever… go see if they have aspirin in the medicine cabinet."

Tony obeyed and found the container in the cabinet. When he returned, he saw that Kenzie had placed a wet kitchen towel on McGee's forehead. Since Aeron was a part of McGee, she would feel the coolness of Kenzie's ancient healing technique even though the cloth wasn't directly on her head.

Kenzie took a glass out of the kitchen and filled it with water. She then placed one tablet to McGee's lips. He awoke suddenly.

"K-Kenzie…?" he said, remembering Aeron's description of her, he looked passed her to Tony, "T-Tony?"

"Swallow," Kenzie replied.

McGee did as he was told, and drank some water after the first pill. Kenzie made him take the second pill, and he was forced to drink again. Aeron awoke slowly as the pill began to work inside McGee's body. She panicked when she saw Tony, but remembered that he had an Immortal Conscience, and looked at Kenzie, who was no longer kneeling beside the sofa.

"You're not totally healed yet…" Kenzie said, nodding to her, "Aeron falling asleep at night involuntarily is a sign of sickness, McGee… maybe Aeron forgot…?"

"Sure… we'll go with that," Aeron replied.

"So… she's not really your niece, is she?" Tony finally said after a few seconds of tense silence.

"No… she was just surprised by you when you came barreling after me that day," McGee replied, not daring to look at him.

"No, no. I know what you were thinking. I never allow Kenzie out in public because I'm afraid I'll have to make up some big lie to cover it up…" Tony replied softly.

McGee took a chance and looked up at him, "When did she come to you?"

"A few days after Aeron appeared to you," Kenzie replied.

"Do you have any idea why?" Aeron asked.

"Gil said he had a job for me, and since I was fresh out of training, of course I took it," Kenzie laughed.

Aeron tried to get up, but Kenzie pushed her back down onto McGee's shoulder. "It may be awkward, but you two need to rest, and you need to stay together. It's too dangerous to go into McGee's head right now, but you should at least be touching each other for you both to heal," Kenzie said, as if reading from a textbook, "If you need anything, Tony and I will try to provide it for you," Kenzie told them, looking over at Tony, who took his cell phone out and answered it.

"Hello, Zi-vah! Yeah, he's fine right now… but I think he just needs to rest… I'm gonna stay with him for today… I know… Gibbs will have a conniption, but he'll get over it. I'll call him myself it I have to. Okay, okay. I'll call you if there's any change. Don't tell Abby just yet. You know how she gets. Bye-bye, now."

Tony closed his phone and sat on the armrest of the sofa, "So, Aeron actually fell asleep this weekend?"

"Yeah… I guess I did. I should of at least _wondered_ about the reasons I was so tired," Aeron said, putting her hands over her face, "God, I'm such a _dumbass_!"

Kenzie grasped one of her hands and squeezed it, "You just forgot. I mean, this is first your _real_ charge, and you graduated training like, what, 20 years ago?"

"_20_ years without a job?" Tony and McGee asked.

"No… I was computer consultant, remember?" Aeron asked.

Kenzie looked at her, "By the way… there was a whole bunch of files on how controversial you being an Immortal was… why?"

"I committed suicide. Grant it, it was ritual suicide, but still. I had been good all up until then, but… it was tradition for the offender to commit ritual suicide in Japan, and, Mr. Yamamatsu did find me kind of canoodling with his daughter… and I was clearly a girl…" Aeron replied.

"Wow…" Kenzie and Tony said together.

"How about you? You don't look a day over seventeen."

Kenzie grew quiet, then muttered, "I was murdered."

McGee and Aeron exchanged glances, "By who? Did you ever at least get to see his face?"

Kenzie shook her head, "I followed Aeron to Edinburgh, and I got a job as a barmaid there. There was a riot on my street, and my throat was cut. He came up from behind. I never saw him until they showed me a picture at training… you know the one. They show you pictures of your past and tell you 'That's not your priority…'"

"Well, you at least got to see what he looked like," McGee stated. He tried to get up to get something, but Tony this time pushed him down.

"What do you need, McGoo?"

"I was…" he looked down at Aeron, who had poked him, "Right… the Mother Hens won't let me do things for myself. I was thinking I would have a snack… some carrot sticks, or something like that…"

Tony got up, but Kenzie beat him to it, "Not that I don't think your capable, Tony, but we're in need of a woman's touch here…" she went to the kitchen and opened the fridge.

~*~

Once the day was done, McGee and Aeron were feeling a little better after some rest, but as Tony and Kenzie saw, Aeron fell asleep in McGee's bed when Kenzie had insisted they go to bed.

Tony closed the door just a tad and called softly, "Call me in the morning if you're feeling better…"

"Got it… and thanks!" McGee called.

Tony blushed slightly, but followed his Muse to the door. Kenzie smiled at him as she disappeared into his body. He closed the apartment door behind him and started his journey home.

~*~

No smut just yet. And no threat if you don't review. But me knowing you support me as I slowly begin to write smut would just be… really great. (Something to look forward to! McNozzo/Uhhh… Ailnan? Kealsa? (Aeron/Kenzie) smut!)

Aeron Ailsa


	10. The Word Of Your Body

A/N: Ha… two chapters in one day. But I was too excited with this chapter to stop writing. I'll probably be grumpy tomorrow morning. So worth it. I don't own NCIS or Spring Awakening. I own only Kenzie and Aeron. I think I now own the chair-kissing, which HAS become my trade-mark. Am I saying too much? Sorry. Read on if you're intrigued (which you should be).

Oh! And sorry for not making last chapter at least up on your McNozzo-meter. I hope this chapter suffices.

~*~

McGee groaned as something pinched him. It had been another dreamless night, at least toward the end. He had just finished up a lovely dream about kissing Tony in a vineyard, which he guessed he had (or Aeron had) gotten from _Spring Awakening_.

He opened his brown eyes and looked at Aeron, who was grinning, her face inches away from the Mit graduate's nose.

"Morning!" she sang.

"I guess I'm better now…" McGee said, rubbing his eyes.

Aeron handed him his cell phone, "Call Tony and say you're fine and you'll be in to work today…"

"Thank you, _Mom_," McGee replied, flipping his phone open and finding Tony's number.

Aeron ran out of the room as McGee slowly got out of bed.

~*~

Grant it, McGee returned to work that day. Gibbs cared little, or he did care but never showed it. Abby and Ziva had worried (as Ziva had told Abby anyway yesterday) but were happy to see McGee back. Abby and Ziva had hugged him extra long when he had entered. Tony didn't do anything, just shook his hand awkwardly and had returned to his desk.

_It's like yesterday never happened_.

Work was almost normal today, except that Tony hardly talked to him.

'What are they discussing, he and Kenzie, I mean,' McGee asked his own Muse.

_I don't know…_ came the tiny reply from within.

McGee shrugged and returned to work. Both he and Tony had a lot of work to catch up on. Ziva and Abby left early because what used to be called 'Girl Time' had become 'Date Night' which was frequenting almost every other day. Gibbs had left at the normal time that he did, and soon the squad-room was empty. Except for Tony and McGee, and by extension, Kenzie and Aeron.

Tony looked over at McGee a couple of times. Every time he looked, something would click and he would turn back to his computer, obviously debating with Kenzie inside his head.

Finally, Tony stood up and strode over to McGee. McGee backed up his chair to look at him. He stood up to meet the other man face to face.

Tony gazed into McGee's eyes for a few minutes before he leaned in close to the younger man.

_Oh—_"God!" Aeron yelled, flashing out of McGee at a running pace. Kenzie appeared, sighing, and followed the smaller Conscience to the bathroom, which was clearly where McGee's Muse was headed.

~*~

"Aeron!" Kenzie called when she was in the bathroom. The aforementioned muse was in the corner, "Aeron…"

"What do you want from me, Kenzie?" Aeron asked, still huddled into the corner.

"Just to have a little chat," Kenzie replied, giggling. She sat on the floor next to the younger girl and sighed.

"About what?" Aeron asked.

"Life? The world… how much my life is starting to suck…" Kenzie replied, in a slow, egotistic-sounding monotone.

"Your life? Sucking? Don't you have the Immortal Muse of that other man? What's her name?" Aeron replied, sounding slightly sarcastic.

Kenzie looked at her. She was so innocent-looking, but so wrong, "There is no other woman, Aeron. No other Immortal Conscience exists beyond me and you. Just the Guardian Angels, and they don't ever get to talk to their charges, as you must know…"

Aeron looked at her, "Then who were you talking about last Friday?"

"You haven't figured it out yet, have you?"

"Should I have?"

~*~

"Tony, Aeron and Kenzie, shouldn't we follow them?" McGee asked, trying to find some way past the older agent. He wasn't really that worried about Aeron, she was a big girl. McGee was sure that Tony was about to do something he wouldn't do, as he already had a _boyfriend_, for Crissakes.

"No… She'll be fine, and you know that, McGee," Tony said, grabbing the MIT graduate's arm firmly. McGee twitched, and managed not to look at Tony, "Tony, what about your boyfriend? Or am I just some kind of practice because you know me?"

"What?" Tony stepped back, but only a little bit. His hand still clutched McGee's arm as if McGee could slip away and become the wind, or something.

"That _boy_ you were talking about. Didn't you put some moves on him yet this weekend?"

"McGee…"

~*~

"Aeron. It's you. I love you…" Kenzie said, smiling.

"You love me? Kenzie I—" Aeron was cut off as Kenzie had taken a microphone out a la Hanschen from _Spring Awakening_.

"Come, cream away the bliss, travel the world within my lips, fondle the pearl of your distant dreams… Haven't you heard the word of your body? O, you're gonna be wounded… O, you're gonna be my wound… O, you're gonna bruise too… O, I'm gonna be your bruise…"

And with that said, Kenzie leaned in and closed the gap between them.

~*~

"McGee… I haven't put the moves on him! Not… not yet…" Tony said, stepping in close. McGee backed away in step with him, but fell back into his chair. Tony fell on top of him. He went to get up, to help McGee back up, but thought better of it. He instead put one foot on the ground, moving the other one in between the other man's legs on the chair. He placed one hand on the armrest, and one hand was left to very sensually place a lock of McGee's red hair behind his ear…

~*~

"Oh God…" Aeron said, pushing Kenzie away quickly.

Kenzie smiled, her eyes still closed, "I know," her green eyes fluttered slowly open. "When we look back, thirty years from now, tonight will seem unbelievably… beautiful."

Aeron looked at her incredulously, raising her pale eyebrows, "And… in the meantime?"

"Why not?" Kenzie replied, leaning in for another kiss.

~*~

"S-So after this, you'll prance off to his house or something?" McGee asked, his blush apparent.

Tony shook his head and closed the very fine gap between them. He was gentle at first, and McGee didn't struggle. From the feel of things, McGee would have thought Tony didn't have ulterior motives. Tony broke away, but didn't budge from his position on the chair, "You're wrong, you know. There is no _other _man…"

He leaned in and kissed McGee again, harder this time, when he came up for air again, he added, "Just… just you…"

~*~

Kenzie wouldn't let go as fast as they had the first time. Aeron felt herself get swept up in the feelings she had for the older girl, and got in close, wrapping her arms around the older girl's shoulders. Kenzie gripped the smaller girl's arms. Aeron finally shook off her passion and broke away.

"I thought we were only going to talk, Kenzie…"

"So are you sorry we—"

"No! No Kenzie, I love you. As I have never loved anyone!" Aeron shouted.

~*~

McGee finally turned his head to the side, embarrassed, "I'm sorry I got jealous over nothing… I've loved you for a long time now, Tony… It was painful to think of you with somebody else…"

Aeron and Kenzie appeared wuite suddenly into the small arrangement of desks. Tony and McGee hardly noticed, too caught up with each other. Even Aeron and Kenzie were oblivious to the change of scenery, still sitting in the same positions they had left the bathroom in.

Kenzie and Tony smiled enigmatic smiles at their respectful new _playthings_ and said, "…And so you should."

McGee and Aeron found themselves speaking together: "O, I'm gonna be wounded… O, I'm gonna be your wound…"

Tony and Kenzie joined them, "…O, I'm gonna bruise you... O, you're gonna be my bruise…"

And as Aeron disappeared into McGee, and Kenzie into Tony, they heard the rest of the universe, it seemed, sing, "O, you're gonna be wounded, O, I'm gonna be your wound. O, you're gonna bruise too, O, I'm gonna be your bruise…"

~*~

Hmmm… foreshadowing? No spoilage for you! I'm so excited for the rest of this story now! Sorry for the _Spring Awakening _references, they're relevant, you'll see.

Okay, Aeron's going to go practice writing smut. I can tell there will be some in later chapters, so I'm going to hone my skills. No smut for you just yet! Be patient (I'm talkin' to you, MissFlapjack!), especially since… well… you'll see (Aeron winks as she runs off to hone her smut-writing skills).

Aeron Ailsa

If you want to see the song and video used in this chapter, you can find my website located on my profile. Enjoy!


	11. Pride Goeth Before The Fall

A/N: Nothing much to say here. You might notice that this story is mostly from Tony/Kenzie's point of view. Just a little change of scene…

~*~

Something was off. No more was the passion in Tony's eyes when McGee returned to work the next day after what Aeron merely referred to as The Incident. Instead Tony seemed like he was up to something.

_They didn't tell us that they loved us back…_ Aeron told McGee, going back to… whatever it was she did up in his head. For the first time in a few months, McGee heard a painful sadness in his muse. She _had_ always been the smarter of the two, being his conscience and all…

But she was right.

_And so you should…_ were the only words uttered by Tony and Kenzie the night of The Incident, and then… McGee guessed he went home in a cloud. A cloud of fantasies that now came crashing down on him now that he realized that Tony hadn't told him if he loved him back.

McGee shook his head a returned to work.

~*~

'It's wrong to lead them on like this, Kenzie…' Tony said as he pretended to work. McGee was across from him, lost in his own thoughts, like Tony was. At least Gibbs wasn't around. Or maybe he was, and Tony just didn't care, 'What are you playing at, Kenzie?'

_Exactly, Tony. I am merely _playing_ with them. The games will end soon, Tony, and you can do what ever you want. I want to see how far they are willing to go for us…_

'Please tell me you aren't a _demon_ in disguise, Kenzie…' Tony hissed.

Kenzie was taken aback, but she remained calm on the outside, _Let me have my fun, Tony_, she replied slowly, again in her slow, egotistic-sounding monotone.

~*~

"Tell me, Kenzie," Aeron said, meeting Kenzie somewhere more… personal. A vineyard, to remind her of the night of The Incident, how like that scene from _Spring Awakening_, yet so different.

Kenzie said nothing, only stared at her, giving Aeron no choice but to speak:

"If that is how you feel then, you are an awful person for making me feel like that last night. I still love you, though!" Aeron was calm at first, but the last sentence was fiercely cried. She took a moment to collect her emotions before continuing, "And McGee still loves Tony. Don't make Tony do this, Kenzie…"

With that, Aeron took off, leaving Kenzie in poor spirits to return to her charge.

~*~

Work had been over for about an hour when finally McGee looked over at Tony. They were still there, finishing up some last minute things. McGee had been praying to whatever Gods were up there that Tony would just leave. Things were getting too painful.

Tony finally looked up as well, and saw the pain in McGee's eyes. He saw the flash of blue, as well, and could almost feel Aeron's pain as well. He hoped Kenzie was feeling this pain as well, only two times as much. They hadn't talked much to each other, as Tony got some actual work done that day. He couldn't speak to the damn wench in his brain.

_Go to him then_, Kenzie replied, hearing all the bad things Tony was thinking, _Play on his goddamn vulnerability_.

Kenzie was generally hurt by Tony right now, as the pain in whatever heart an Immortal could have was being stabbed right and left. She was confused, not knowing why she led Tony to almost confess. She didn't know why she was compelled to… _seduce_ the younger girl, and then leave her without her own confession.

'You're a proud bitch, Kenzie,' Tony grumbled to his Muse, getting out of his chair.

_And you're very proud as well, dickhead_, came the bold response from within.

Tony was sure there was something in that response. He grabbed his backpack and swung it over one shoulder. He made his way over to McGee, and the thought completely left his mind. McGee was so helpless against his charms, it seems, because he cowered in his chair, slipping off of it to stand and slip away.

"McGee…" Tony said, following him. He caught up with him and pushed him against the wall. He leaned in and kissed the other man roughly before getting into the elevator, leaving the MIT graduate so much more confused.

~*~

"What _do_ you feel, Demon Girl?" Tony asked, once he was safe in his own house.

"I feel confused. I don't know what to feel anymore. I know it is my destiny to love her if you truly love him, but I don't know yet if you do…" Kenzie replied, perched daintily on the kitchen counter.

"You feel pride, Kenzie. That's what. You want to play around with Aeron only because you do not want to admit your feelings. And because of your pride, I am subject to make a complete _ass_ of myself toward the only thing right now that's keeping work off my _fucking_ mind!"

They stared at each other for a brief moment, and then Kenzie began to cry. Tony had never known her to show such emotion to him. But he knew that inside, he was crying as well. That was the connection. He went to her and hugged her, "We need to stop playing games, Kenzie. You need to learn to let her in… and thus let me let in McGee…"

Kenzie nodded, sniffling slightly, "I know… IknowIknowIknow. Oh, god…"

Tony just held her, and she finally stopped blubbering just to sit there with him. They knew what they had to do, but they had to be sure that it was right. Time would heal these wounds. They would have to tell McGee and Aeron soon…

~*~

Stay tuned for more angst! And review, or I surely will die… or not write because I know I'm a failure. Yeah… I feel angsty because the characters are angsty. I no own, I'm am just borrowing… I do own Kenzie and Aeron, though… and the vineyard. Those crazt kids should stay outta my vineyard! Oh… wait a minute…

Aeron Ailsa


	12. Lower Down, Where The Figs Lie

A/N: Thanks for all the (Aeron gulps mid-sentence) reviews. Gosh, I didn't know this story had so many fans… Oh and it's back to McGee/Aeron's POV… mostly. And sorry… I have brought in plot devises—I mean Mary Sues—I mean… aw, f*ck it. That's mainly who they are…

~*~

"I don't understand," Aeron said, laying back slowly onto the couch.

McGee sighed and touched his mouth where Tony had kissed him once again. No matter what Aeron said about Tony and Kenzie, he knew that she still loved the black-haired girl, and he still loved the brunette special agent. It just hurt so much to do so, for both of them.

McGee sat back against his kitchen counter, too tired to hold himself up anymore.

~*~

She had come to Aeron's vineyard to apologize, but instead, she found a fury like no other waiting for her.

"Leave me alone…" Aeron hissed, her frail arms tense across her body, "You've hurt us too much to be around us anymore. Go home…"

And with that, Aeron disappeared, leaving Kenzie ashamed and almost on the verge of tears.

~*~

Work was tense the next morning. Tony knew that Kenzie was still full of pride. He also knew that Kenzie liked Aeron's company, and that she was very fond of the other girl. Hopefully, things would turn out okay for all of them.

McGee wasn't upstairs the whole day, though. Which was odd, to say the least. He was actually downstairs, with Abby's new intern, Anna. She was a loud young thing, only about 22, intelligent, and not that pretty. She had her own personal beauty, McGee had to admit. But Ziva had dragged McGee down to watch her, as Anna had come out as bisexual only moments after meeting Abby.

Anna was telling McGee about her classes and how she was so excited to be working at the Naval base. And Aeron was stuck with her conscience, a mortal conscience named Lily. Who looked like Anna, as was the case with mortal consciences. Both were short and brown-haired. They both had green eyes, but just normal green, not like the intense olive-gold color of Kenzie's. Aeron's Immortal heart throbbed painfully in her chest.

"The only thing I could never get was the computers. God! They were so difficult!" Lily told her.

"Will you teach me how to use this computer?" Anna asked of McGee.

Abby had taken Ziva into her office and had shut the door to talk in hushed whispers about how to handle the jealousies that Ziva was so obviously feeling for the annoying twit.

McGee sighed and tapped some commands on the keyboard. Anna got close to watch over his shoulders. It was kind of nice, but McGee felt nothing for the girl. But, boy, was she persistent.

"And how do you get into the fingerprinting database?" she asked with a sickly sweet tone and an equally annoying session of batted eyelashes. Aeron's stomach turned slightly.

McGee explained slowly and carefully, mentally elbowing Aeron into a corner.

~*~

Tony finally made his way down to the Forensics Lab. Abby had returned to her duties, and was watching as Anna flirted mercilessly with McGee, who would smile and then turn back to the work at hand. Ziva was still there, so Tony went to watch with her, still sickened by the sight of McGee with someone else.

Finally, he (or Kenzie) got the guts to walk over to McGee and tap him on the shoulder. The younger man swung around, but had to calm himself, as there were other people around them. "Oh… hi Tony…"

"Hello, McGeek… training the newbie?" he asked, smiling his killer smile at Anna. She looked perfectly irritated, and not under Tony's spell at all. Which was okay with Tony, because his spells were now only for McGee, "Can I borrow him for a second?"

"Whatever," Anna huffed, her bottom lip almost pouting.

Tony grabbed the younger man's wrist and pulled him into the hall.

~*~

"What is _she_ doing here?" Tony hissed.

"Learning how to use the computer," McGee replied.

"She knows how, McGee… she's playing you like a Celtic fiddler!" Tony hissed, using a phrase only Kenzie would be caught dead saying…

McGee couldn't help but smile, but he caught himself and crossed his arms, "What is this all about, Tony…" he asked.

"I…" Tony couldn't get the words out.

~*~

"Help me out here, Aeron," Kenzie said, folding her arms lightly over her chest.

"I can't help you here," Aeron replied. They were under stars again, the vineyard smelled sweet and familiar to both of them, "I don't know what's holding you back."

"I… I can't stand to see you with her. And that night in the bathroom? … I find myself tricking you to get close to you…" She placed her hands in her hands and screwed her eyes shut. She waited for Aeron's harsh words. None came.

"Trick me?" Aeron asked softly, and Kenzie got ready for the verbal (or physical) blows, "You never trick me, Kenzie. I know what I'm getting into when I'm around you…"

~*~

Tony pushed McGee into an empty closet. "I love you, McGee," he said, leaning in to whisper it into his ear. He then kissed McGee with a passion that outdid even The Incident's kiss. All the while, he was waiting for McGee to push him away, to run back to Anna. But McGee stayed put. He even let Tony take off first his jacket, and then un-buttoned his shirt. He himself undid Tony's tie.

"I know…" he finally whispered, as Tony pressed MCGee against the wall of the closet and was in the middle of un-buttoning his trousers.

~*~

Kenzie was taken aback. Aeron sat down and crawled over to her, "I'm curious…" she said.

"Curious about… about what?" Kenzie asked, looking over at her warily.

Aeron paused and looked at her hands, "About... remember when you and I were flirting back in Salen? You were the first one who told me… how two people… who love each other…"

"Yes…?" Kenzie was kind of blushing as she remembered.

"I'm curious about how it would be with you and me…"

Kenzie's eyebrows shot up, "After all I've done to you in the past few days? You want to—" Aeron kissed her softly to confirm Kenzie's stuttered question. Kenzie pushed into Aeron, slowly following her down as Aeron fell back into the grass.

~*~

… I think you guys can tell what comes next. And now I have to figure out to screw up their relationship again (ha ha… 'screw.' Done.) … I mean… uh… figure out the next plot line of the story… Yeah… (Aeron runs off to read other fanfiction and to listen to _Spring Awakening_, which seems to help as well…)

Aeron Ailsa


	13. His Beautiful Pain

A/N: Umm… Fast-forwarding, anyone?

Oh, and does anyone else just totally love Ducky as much as I do? I'm sorry I didn't put him in to this story as much as I wanted…

~*~

McGee leaned against his desk, more or less glued to the scene before him. Abby had followed Ziva up the stairs, leaving Anna down in the lab alone. Tony and him had walked in on them in a little tiff, to say the least.

"For the last TIME, Ziv, she is an annoying TWIT and I don't know why Jenny picked her up from George Washington U, she just did!"

(A/N: Jenny's still alive. Because I said so.)

"How do I _know_, Abigail? How can I _know_? She's younger than me, and… smarter? And American, so her liaison won't end at a moment's notice!" Ziva shouted back.

Ducky and Jimmy came up from behind the boys, "Oh dear… are we interrupting something?"

Gibbs walked passed him and whacked both girls behind the head, "No, Duck… what's up?"

"I merely heard the shouting from in my office. What is going on?" Ducky asked once more.

"Ziva and Abs are having a heated discussion about Anna…" Tony offered. Gibbs scoffed and walked away quickly, before anything violent could happen.

"Girls… Anna just went home, saying that she wanted to be relocated…" Ducky offered.

"Really?" Tony asked, grinning.

"We'll talk later," McGee hissed, knowing exactly who was behind Anna's relocation.

"She… she's gone?" Ziva asked.

Abby hugged her tightly, "Ziva! I didn't know you were scared of all those things! I love you… and you'll always be my Jewish princess…"

McGee wanted to swoon at the sight, but composed himself.

Ducky then turned to McGee and Tony, "And I'm happy to know that you two are together at last…" he said.

"How does everyone know this?" McGee asked.

"Ducky has his ways, McGee," Abby said, "He was the first to know about Ziva and me, and we never actually told him. And we saw you two stumble out of that closet… at the beginning of our relationship, that was the same closet we… we knew we loved each other…"

"Ew… so you two… did it there?" Tony whispered loudly.

Ziva blushed, but nodded, "Yes, we did it there…"

"I've got lesbian cooties all over me…" Tony whined. McGee elbowed him.

"Now, now," Ducky said, but he chuckled.

"Ducky… do you have someone special in your life?" Abby asked.

"I do…" Ducky said. Gibbs appeared (as if on cue), coming down the stairs. Jenny was following, but a slight distance. Jimmy smiled and waved at her, and she sort of blushed.

"And you've told them?" McGee asked.

Ducky beckoned the two boys to come close to him, which they did. He put one arm around Tony, and the other around McGee. Gibbs entered the small team's line of desks, and Jenny went to hold Jimmy's hand. Abby went and placed her arms around Tony, and Ziva did the same with McGee.

"Let me tell you something about love," Ducky said, "I was a young doctor when I met this someone. He, yes, he, was a lonesome thing, on his own most of the time, but as we got to know each other, his love for me grew strong. And as we got closer and closer, painful memories were brought up for him. I was in pain, as well, because he wouldn't tell me what was wrong, and… to love him was very painful in that time…"

"Did he ever tell you?" Tony asked.

"He did tell me… but it was later in our relationship. But when he wouldn't even tell me that he loved me? That was very painful. And it wasn't because of pride, like you young people… it was simply because of his past…"

"Who is this, Ducky?" Ziva asked.

"It was me… Is, me…" Gibbs said.

"You and… Ducky?" Abby asked, she smiled and hugged Gibbs, "Why didn't you tell us?"

"We just didn't want you to know… but now that you do, you can get back to work!" Gibbs shouted, but he winked at them all as they shuffled quickly to their desks and general areas of work.

_I think Ducky and Gibbs is a nice combination_, Aeron told McGee.

'I think I could guess that there was something more that friendship between those two…' McGee thought, starting in on his paperwork.

"Hey McGee?" Tony asked, standing over the younger boy's desk.

"What, Tony?" McGee asked.

"Can we go on lunch break together?" Tony asked, blushing slightly.

McGee smiled, "Is this you asking me out on an actual date?"

"It is," Tony replied.

"I would love to assist you on you lunch break," McGee replied.

~*~

… It's come down to McNozzo, Zabby, Dubbs and Jimmy/Jenny. Where is my brain in all this? Oh, right… soccer. Review, please and thank you!

Aeron Ailsa


	14. Never Again

A/N: Gah. Writer's Block kills. But I shall try hard to make this one good. Oh, and I'm afraid this it the last chapter. I'll write some one-shots, though. I'm afraid my obsession with the series is… not gone, exactly, but coming to the end of the chain.

~*~

Tony and Tim walked down the pathway together. Lunch was over, and they were taking a long walk back to work, just to stay in each other's company. McGee looked past his boyfriend's face to the park where, it seemed, everything had started. McGee smiled and ran past Tony to the swings.

Tony looked passed him, wondering what was going on, until he remembered that wonderful Spring day when he had met Aeron.

Aeron appeared next to McGee as McGee sat down on a swing and started pushing himself. Aeron jumped on the swing next to him and beckoned Tony to come on over. Kenzie appeared next to him and ran over, Tony following like her big brother, chasing her after doing something only a sibling can do to make it into a chasing game.

Aeron laughed and slowly came to a stop, "Do me a favor guys?"

As McGee slowed to a stop on the swing, Tony looked at her and asked, "What, Aeron?"

"Try not to let pride get in the way again…" she replied, looking straight at Kenzie as she said it.

Tony smiled and took McGee's hand. Kenzie sighed and took Aeron's hand. The girls' lips touched as they disappeared into their respective charges. Tony and McGee were still kissing, even though their Guardians were within them now…

~*~

I at least learned something from this story: Don't use OCs, and don't go pass one chapter, or you will regret it. Well… that's mostly me. I have OCD (okay, it's not on my medical papers), and I only look toward the end of the project, so I don't enjoy the journey. Just… look for one-shots in the future, and maybe, just maybe, I'll start another one of these and see where it gets me.

Until later!

Aeron Ailsa


End file.
